Even if most of the paperwork was handed over to someone else, at the very least, Lee Jaehyun and Park Daehyung had to take care of the key parts themselves.
There was no way around it.
After all, only those who were actually at the scene could know exactly what had happened.
Thanks to this, Lee Jaehyun had been allowed to leave work early that day, but as soon as he arrived the next morning, he had to start writing the report for the Sergeant.
After diligently preparing the report, Lee Jaehyun glanced over at Min Ji-hye, who was yawning.
Since Min Ji-hye was not someone whose expressions usually showed, it was rare to see her yawn.
But Min Ji-hye quickly returned to her usual expressionless face, as if nothing had happened.
She finished up the document she was working on, then leaned slightly toward Lee Jaehyun.
“Jaehyun.”
“Yes, Sergeant Min Ji-hye.”
Since it wasn’t often that Min Ji-hye started a conversation, Lee Jaehyun felt a small sense of novelty as he answered.
Even in his previous life, among the team members, he’d grown close to others quickly, but Min Ji-hye was always the one he befriended last.
It wasn’t just because Min Ji-hye spent more time supporting from behind the scenes rather than working on site—it was also just her personality.
She didn’t go out of her way to build relationships.
Besides, Lee Jaehyun himself, before his father’s death, had just lived as an ordinary Police Officer, so that only made it more so.
Since Min Ji-hye preferred Police Officers who truly lived up to their duty, she had no reason to befriend Lee Jaehyun back then.
But now, with Lee Jaehyun’s recent change, Min Ji-hye had started to open up to him little by little, treating him as comfortably as the rest of the team.
“Are you busy today?”
“Should be the same as usual… Is something up?”
A Police Officer’s schedule was always the same.
Either waiting on standby or out on patrol…
Responding to calls, handling complaints.
That was pretty much all a regular Police Officer did.
“It’s nothing, but the Security Team Leader told me to proceed with Personal Protection for A-young Kim, and said I could take anyone with me.”
“Am I the lucky one?”
At the mention of Personal Protection, Lee Jaehyun nodded slightly and asked.
Victims or reporters who might be subject to retaliation or further harm could request Personal Protection from the police.
In Kim A-young’s case, she herself had come to the police station to file a report.
Thanks to her coming in, the police had been able to catch Goo Hyunseok, who was responsible for child abuse.
But that also meant someone who’d lost their job or business partner because of this might try to get revenge for Goo Hyunseok.
Especially since Goo Hyunseok had been involved in illegal business.
That’s why Team Leader Oh Cheol-jin personally spoke with Kim A-young and had her file a request for Personal Protection.
Fortunately, the request was approved right away, so from today they could provide her with protection.
Kim A-young would probably feel at least a little safer now.
With Personal Protection, the truth was, there was at least a little more safety from crime.
Of course, it couldn’t be perfect.
Many people misunderstood because of the terminology, but Personal Protection was not the same concept as Personal Escort.
There simply weren’t enough police resources to provide Personal Escort for everyone requesting protection.
Still, the police did their best, even with limited manpower, to keep those under Personal Protection as safe as possible.
One way was like this—while not as intensive as Personal Escort, at least visiting the person once or twice a day to provide Personal Escort for a short time.
Or focusing Customized Patrols around their surroundings.
Honestly, this was about the best the police could do.
“Oh, and I have to hand over the Smart Watch and today’s the first day, so there’s a lot to explain… I’d feel a bit overwhelmed going with Lieutenant Park.”
“Yeah. That would be a little much.”
On the first day of Personal Escort, as Min Ji-hye said, there would be a mountain of things to explain.
Imagine trying to do that while Park Daehyung, who looked like a gangster boss, just stood there silently.
That would make anyone feel pressured.
As Lee Jaehyun agreed, Min Ji-hye let out a quiet laugh and continued.
“Well, it’s not like I’d go with the Security Team Leader, or with Lieutenant Kim Seokhyun. So, it’s either you or Junho, but Junho is just way too much of a hassle. That only leaves you.”
Min Ji-hye, rather than go with someone of higher rank, just wanted to move with someone a bit more comfortable.
So that left only Kim Junho, a sergeant, or Lee Jaehyun, a Police Officer, and—well, Min Ji-hye and Kim Junho weren’t exactly a match.
To be precise, Kim Junho could get along with anyone, but Min Ji-hye found his smooth talk and chatter a nuisance.
“What time are we heading out?”
“Let’s leave before dinner, check in, have a meal, and come back.”
“Understood.”
Lee Jaehyun nodded in reply.
A Police Officer’s work was the same no matter where you went.
It was all just learning and running errands, wasn’t it?
It would be a good chance to move with Min Ji-hye and check that Kim A-young and her child were safe.
Lee Jaehyun spent his time as usual, handling work.
As always, he occasionally flipped open his own notebook, trying to recall as much as he could, and as he worried about how to prevent the upcoming child abduction case next week, the time passed quickly.
“Whew, journalists really are something else.”
Just how much time had gone by like that?
Kim Junho muttered as he stared at his monitor.
At his words, Min Ji-hye lifted her head.
Kim Junho looked over at Min Ji-hye and spoke.
“The case about the kid being abused, it’s already spreading in the news.”
“Doesn’t it usually take a day or two for reporters to pick up a story? They must have heard about it somewhere.”
Depending on the case, unless there was an embargo, these days, news usually got out the same day.
The fact that a case from yesterday was already making headlines today wasn’t that surprising.
Of course, for a Capital Region Police Station, it wasn’t common to have such newsworthy cases…
It was a bit surprising, but Team 4 at Hanseong Station was already somewhat used to it.
After all, starting with Myung Jinhan, followed by Han Seonah and Park Chunbeom, all their cases had made headlines.
It was about time they got used to it.
Though apparently, not Kim Junho.
Clearly excited to have something to talk about, Kim Junho started to get up, ready to say something more.
“Jaehyun.”
“Mmm. Should we head out now?”
“Yeah, let’s go. Before Junho opens his mouth any further.”
“We’ll be back.”
With that, Min Ji-hye stood up and left first.
Lee Jaehyun gave a polite bow to Kim Junho and followed after her.
***
“So, if something threatening happens, I just press this right away, right?”
Sitting beside the hospital bed, Kim A-young pointed at the Smart Watch as she asked.
Lee Jaehyun immediately nodded and replied.
“Yes, yes. No matter where you are, we’ll get there as fast as possible—probably… within ten minutes.”
Just now, he had handed over the Smart Watch and explained how to use it.
Kim A-young looked at the device with curiosity for a moment, then lifted her head to thank Lee Jaehyun and Min Ji-hye.
“Thank you. For looking out for me.”
“It’s nothing. It’s just our job.”
Honestly, they weren’t going out of their way for her—they were just doing what was expected.
That’s what Lee Jaehyun thought.
At his reply, Kim A-young gave a gentle smile, then, with a hint of laughter in her voice, continued.
“Looking back calmly, I must have looked like a crazy woman. Coming in, shouting my daughter was dead, and even saying I’d killed her.”
“It’s alright. Given the circumstances. No matter what, if anything happens, just come to us and report it—we’ll do our best to help, always.”
“Really… That’s reassuring.”
After saying that, Kim A-young looked over at her daughter, lying on the hospital bed.
Jung Nara.
Only six years old, far too young to have experienced the trauma of being beaten and losing consciousness.
The child was sleeping under medication.
With broken ribs, the pain would be severe.
Though she was on painkillers to suppress it, the best way for her to recover was to rest, so the hospital was making sure she could sleep as much as possible.
At least, they said she would recover quickly. That was a relief.
“She’s pretty.”
At some point, Se-re-hen appeared in the air, floating gently above Jung Nara, looking at the child with a gentle expression, so unlike her usual self.
She watched as Jung Nara stirred in her sleep and furrowed her brow.
The child must have moved in her sleep and felt a stab of pain in her ribs.
Seeing that, Se-re-hen waved her hand.
A dark aura flowed from her hand, seeping into Jung Nara’s chest.
Immediately, the child’s expression relaxed.
Lee Jaehyun couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed, and glanced at Se-re-hen.
“What? Is a demon not allowed to help anyone?”
“It’s not that. I just wasn’t expecting it.”
“Any child, no matter whose or what they are, has the right to be protected.”
She was right.
Children deserved protection.
Lee Jaehyun wholeheartedly agreed with Se-re-hen’s words.
“Now, we’ll be doing a patrol around the area. Even if it’s not an emergency, if you ever feel uneasy, please feel free to contact us.”
With that, Min Ji-hye said her farewells to Kim A-young and turned to leave.
Lee Jaehyun left the room with her.
Click.
The door closed softly behind them.
“Good job. Let’s check around the hospital and A-young’s house, then go eat dinner.”
“Yes.”
Just as Lee Jaehyun replied to Min Ji-hye,
A woman with brown hair approached from their direction.
Since they’d never met her before, both Lee Jaehyun and Min Ji-hye looked at her with slight confusion.
The brown-haired woman smiled, then spoke in a gentle voice.
“Hello.”
“Yes, hello. Is there something we can help you with?”
Min Ji-hye immediately responded to the greeting.
But Lee Jaehyun, hearing a strangely familiar voice, froze for a moment.
He’d heard that voice somewhere before.
Definitely, not long ago…
As Lee Jaehyun searched his memory, trying to recall where he’d heard the voice,
Before he could remember, the owner of the voice introduced herself.
“Dongyeong Ilbo, Yoon Minha. I was hoping to ask a few questions about the case, if that’s alright?”
Last time, when he was eating at the soup restaurant with Sergeant Oh Seohyun, the journalist from Dongyeong Ilbo, Yoon Minha, had called.
It was her.